Internal combustion engine



. 29, i931. A. M. HARRIS INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed Dec. 30, 1929 NUNHHQHHMWHHHQHWH HH@1........

l...l lult O l @S 299 gl. A, M, HARRIS 1,838,256

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Dec. 50, 1.929 2 Shfts-Sheet 2 70 j 9,9

wf y -WM r ETED STATES PATENT QFFCE ALFRED lli'. S, F WASHINGTON, DKSTRIC'I QF COLMBI, ASSIGNOE- TQ DATE FRANKLIN 000K, F CEEY"`INE, WYIEING INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Application led December 30, 1929. Serial No. 417,487.

This invention relates to improvements in internal combustion engines of the four cycle ivre provide a sliding arrangement of the cylinders of the engine relative to the crank case whereby the combustion chamber may be va ried in size.

A further object of this invention is to l0 provide an engine of the above mentioned character adapted to increase the expansion of burned gases over the entire scale of the ninnber of revolutions per minute to which the engine is subjected.

it still further object of this invention is to provide means adapted to be operated mechanically, manually or automatically for moving the cylinders relative to the crank case.

A still further obgcct of this invention is to provide a novel form of engine in which the cylinders may be moved relative to the crank case to increase or decrease the size of the combustion chamber to produce a low or high speed engine and simultaneously change the clearance in the valve gear push rods accordingly.

A still further object of this invention is to provide an internal combustion engine of the above mentioned character adapted to develop more horse power out of a smaller amount of fuel and whereby the eneine will be balanced at all times irrevelant oi? the dis- 5 tance the cylinders are moved on the crank case. t

Heretofore it has been common .practice to vary the size of the combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine by raising or lowering the cylinder head relative to the 4@ cylinder and to regulate the throw of the crankshaft relative to the cylinder block by employing gears associated with the` crankshaft. This practice is objectionable due to the disadvantages in arrangement of the valve gearing, timing mechanism, and other parts of the engine which are necessary for the eihcient and complete operation of the engine.

The above disadvantages are overcome by providing an engine having a stationary The primary object of this invention is to l crank case with cylinder blocks attached thereto adapted to slide laterally whereby the cylinder blocks are moved in a horizontal plane to increase or decrease the combustion chamber and simultaneously move the valve gear push rods to increase or decrease the clearance between the valve stems and rocker arms in accordance with the high or low speed of the engine.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following description forming a part of this specification and in which,

Figure l is a fragmentary plan view of the engine embodying this invention showing a pair of cylinder bloc-ks slidably secured to the crank case and the means at the opposite ends of the cylinder blocks for moving the same towards and away from each other.

Figure 2 is an end elevational View of the invention showing the pair of cylinder blocks and the op ositely screw threaded rod for moving the locks laterally on the crank case.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of the engine showing more 75 in detail the construction and arrangement of the cylinder block operating mechanism Figure 4 is a fragmentary cross sectional view through one of the hold down devices showing the same passing through al slot in the cylinder block flange and secured to the crank case, and

Figure 5 is an enlarged transverse cross sectional view of the engine embodying this invention showing the movable cylinder blocks secured to the crank case2 the arran ement of the pistons and connecting rods re ative to the crank shaft and the novel arrangement of the valve gearing.

, For a more detailed description of the invention, attention is directed to the drawings wherein the reference character 5 will generally be referred to as the crank case, formed in the usual manner comprising sections 6 and 7 having flanges held together by bolts 8. 95

Longitudinally disposed in the crank 'case- 5 is a crank shaft 9 of a conventional form having wrists l0 arranged in a manner suitable for an eight cylinder motor wherein four cylinders are mounted in parallel relation.

Journal bearings are provided for the ends of the crank shaft in the end walls of the crank case in the usual manner.

Slidably bolt-ed to overturned edges y1i, of the crank case section 6 is a pair of parallel cylinder blocks 12 having water spaces 13 and closed at their upper ends by a cylinder head 14. Intake and exhaust valves l5 according to the desired construction of the engine are mounted in openings iin the cylinder blocks and each valve is provided with a stem 1G, adapted to be guided in the head as at 17. Intake and exhaust ports 18 communicate with the valve openings to accomplish the inlet and exhaust of gases in the usual manner.

The lowermost portion of each cylinder block 12 is provided with a laterally extending flange 19 which extends around the entire lower end of the cylinder blocks 12 whereby the flanges 19 will set upon the overturned edges of the crank case 11. It will be noted that the adjacent flanges 19 of the cylinder blocks are seated upon a longitudinal strip 2O which connects with the end walls of the crank case section 6. It may be found in practice to form the upper wall of the crank case section 6 of a single piece of metal having oval shaped opening for communication with the cylinder. A suitable oil retaining packing 21 may be carried by the cylinder flanges 19 to engage the upper face of the crank case flange 11 to prevent oil from leaking past the connection between the crank case and cylinder. Openings 22 are adapted to communicate with oil grooves 23 extending around each of the cylinder blocks.

Each of the cylinder blocks 12 are secured to the crank case section 6 in a slidable fashion as by means of a series of bolts 24 being passed through openings 25 in the flanges 11 and through slotted openings 26 in the flanges 19 which communicate with each other. The bolts 24 are held in place by being provided with any suitable type of autol matic release nut 27 threaded on the bolt and having an annular lower flange 23 for covering the elongated slot 26 to further prevent the escape of oil.

Pistons 30 are reciprocably mounted in the respective cylinders of the cylinder blocks and are connected to the wrists 1() of the crank shaft by offset connecting rods 31 havc ing an angle portion 32 in order to allow the lower end 33 to 'be presented to the crank shaft at the right angle.

A series of valve tappets 34 are arranged longitudinally in the plate 20 of the crank case section 6 and are adapted to be reciprocated by cams 35 secured to the cam shaft 36. Each of the tappet plungers 34 is provided with a spherical socket to receive the lower ends of the push rods 37, while the upper ends of the push rods engage rocker shafts 38 pivoted as at 39 to the supports 40. The

It is to bc mounted on the valve stems 16 for normally holding the valves 15 in their closed posit-ion.

As shown in the several figures of the drawings, the cylinder blocks 12 are provided at each end with a cast lug 43 having a trans.- verse screw threaded opening for receiving corresponding screw threads 44 which are in opposed relation on the rods 45, whereby rotation of the screw threaded rods 45 will cause the cylinder blocks 12 to be moved towards or awa from one another to vary the combustion c amber. A pair of lugs 46 are also formed on the ends of the crank case section 6 rotatably supporting the oppositely screw threaded rods 45.

Mounted between the lugs 45 rigidly cured to the screw threaded rods 45 are worin wheels 47 adapted to mesh with worin gears shaft 49 or a hand wheel may be provided on the shaft A49 for operating the same ma- -V ually if so desired.

A. cover 50 is placed over the overhead valve gearing to protect the same from dirt and prevent the loss of the oil fed to the rocker arms.

It is to be understood that the forni of invention shown in the drawings is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that the invention may be employed in connection with motors of the radial type7 opposed type, and the vertical type. It is also to be understood that various forms of valve gearing employing push rods may be employed although the form shown and described is lthe preferred form.

Having described the invention, I claim:

1. An internal combustion engine, comprising a crank case, cylinders movably mounted on the crank case, pistons and valve gearing for the cylinders and means for lessees plane containing said axis in any other position assumed thereby.

3. An engine having a crank ease and a oylindex.1 block, relative movement between the '5 block and crank case, means interposed between the crank case and the cylinder block for sealing the continuously moving faces on the complementary faces thereof, and

Ineens for moving the block laterally relal@ izive to the case.

4. An engine comprising e crank Cese and e pair of cylindee oooiie thereon, said blocks being ielatve movable toward and away from eeoli other on the crank case and means for moving lie oyiindei blocks simultaneousyly in opposite flireoions.

5. An engine feoinprising e oienli oase :mol pair of cylinder blocks thereon, said blocks being nioveivie on ine crank ease and means 2G for moving the blocks simultaneously in opr:site diiecions.

' o comprising a, crank case, a.

pon' of Cyn ff oioeiis movably mounted on the crank onse5 sealing means' interposed bezn'een the cylini'iee bioeiis and crank oase, and

means for moving the cylinder blocks on Jche omni?. onse siinnlioneously in opposite direc- 'E'. Een engine comprising a crank case, a,

iindoi bloei; slidnbly mounted on the crank ease enel means for moving the cylinder block relebive to the crank cese.

8'. An engine comprising a crank case, a,

a) eylindei block and valve gearing, said cylinder block being slidubly mounted on the crank oase and ineens for moving the cylindei' block relative o the crank'case sirnuiieneousiy effecting n, change in the valve gearin eleei'zince engine comprising e crank ease, two

oi" more cylinder blocks movebly mounted on alie crank oase, valve gearing assooiatecl with io e; inde? block, and means for slidin ie fyiindei block laterally on 'die crank e comprising a crank oase, a eolie inounsefl on 'the crenk o offend 9; parallel with each other, said of e sliding movement n orzinli ense, and means o lei lioeks end iT-.foy een biook moving; olie same r. "ompiising n onse, e f ioezs moi-feloiy inonnefl on 1 ie oinnk cese5 valve gaining' associated with e engine, means for moving ae oyinciei iis on ine. omni): onse in sinnltai'xeousiy onosie .ffieoions and ineens opeiablo oy uned ineens i? en us-us5 'eine gearing, simonj? Wie'feof :iiiir my signnfeure lvi.. HACS. 

